Author Notes-

Hey all my merry, more than likely nearly murderous reviewers, I have a gift for you! Ha! You do get something from me! A chapter! AND, an honest promise to get the next one out by Saturday of this week. So, that's Saturday, October 10th. Now, on with the thanks!

-A-

Author Thanks-

TriGemini- Thanks! I don't know about you but I would be more upset with Jack than she was. But don't get me wrong, there was other reasons to Jack bringing Christy back on. Yes, he wanted to spend time with her and he missed her but she also has helped. Anyways, hope you like the chapter! Enjoy!

Lil Bit - Thanks! Yeah, yeah, yeah, I forgot. Don't kill me. Lol. Well, hope you like the chapter. In the name of all that is wonderful on my planner, I'll see you at work or choir or on my street! Tchao, mon amie!

Anaknusan - Thanks! Yeah, that's partially why it took me so long to churn out the chapter. I had planned on using some general illness like influenza but I figured that malaria was more localised in the Caribbean and adds a shade more historical basis to my story! Thanks for the good luck wishes, too. Always appreciated. Actually, my one problem class is calculas and I understand the concepts and my work is all right, I just go spastically frantic and mess up on stupid things...like re-copying the problem off of my work page onto the test page and flipping two numbers. Anywho, enough about me and I hope you enjoy!

S.S.I. - Thanks! Trust me, I'm enjoying the two week break very much. But, keep in mind, I started school on August 3rd. The advantage of year round school is that there are random holidays. The disadvantages are a short summer and an uber early starting date. You have west nile in your area too? We have outbreaks every year and usually a couple people die...its not good. Actually 'mange klemmar' is Norwegian and it means Many Hugs. Its my way of ending just about any type of letter to people (unless I'm supposed to be formal). But its one of the phrases that has crossed language barriers and is in my common speech... Well, I'm the one babbling now. Enjoy!

RMB - Thanks! You want Chaton away? But she has the perfect timing that a small child does, lol. Yep, malaria sucks... just wait for more. There are more surprises down the line. MWHAHAHAHA! Okay, I'm good, now. Enjoy!

Zubachickqt4u - Thanks! Wow, ye have little faith. I couldn't kill Colin. It'd be like killing ... um ... um ... killing Santa Clause! Colin is one of my favourite characters to write besides Jack, Christy and Rhia. I couldn't kill him. Anywho, enjoy!

-A-

Last Time-

I nodded my understanding before speeding away, feeling lighter than I had since Jack told me of the illness. I knew what it was and I knew a possible treatment. I could maybe help. Or maybe not. But at least now there was a chance. Another good thing was that I know knew that I did not need to worry as much about catching the illness. I knew well enough that it was spread through mosquitos and not by breathing. This meant that Jack could tell the crew and hopefully, avoid deserters. The whole outlook was brighter and I couldn't wait to talk to Jack later. We had a chance.

-A-

Beyond the Horizon

Chapter 5 - Cinchona Bark

In the kitchens, I rummaged through the cabinets trying to find the coveted cinchona bark. The first bag that I pulled out was small, only about the size of my hand and contained small beans. I poured some out into my hand and saw that it was castor bean, used for causing miscarriages and also as a poison. The second bag was the size of a child's head and held several long roots and an assortment of bark. I sniffed it and guessed, from the bitter smell, that it was willow bark, a painkiller. The third bag was small enough to fit in the palm of my hand and inside of it was a powdered substance. It was dark coloured and had no specific smell but I had absolutely no idea of what it was. I decided not to worry and continued on with my search. The fourth bag was slightly smaller than the second and held pink flowers and roots.

"Yes," I said aloud. I tossed the bag onto the table and grabbed a knife out of one of the drawers. I wiped off the last crumbs from lunch and withdrew two of the roots. Placing them on the table, I began to cut them into smaller pieces. Once I had them cut into very small bits, I went back over to the cabinets and started to rummage for a morter and pestle. It took several long minutes to find it but finally I had gotten what I needed and started to grind the roots into a fine powder. It was tedious work, mashing the bits, they didn't seem to want to be crushed, or rather, I was not pressing hard enough to manage it.

It took ages (although it was probably only a quarter of an hour, a half at the most) but finally I had a bowl full of a fine brownish coloured powder.

One task done now onto my second and much more tedious one - heating enough water to make tea. So, shouldering the responsibility, I walked to the end of the room away from the stove and gathered an armful of wood. Arranging the wood in the small wood burning stove in a way that -hopefully- would catch fire was always a difficult task for me. I detested getting the job done and would have preferred to let someone else do it but no one could be bothered so I made due. After retrieving the flint and steel, I started to strike them together, hoping for a spark. Eventually, I managed to get a small spark that flew into a pile of small sticks and twigs. I quickly laid them down and blew gently on the mound. The spark caught. Small flames sprung to life in the pile as I continued to blow gently on them. I kept giving the breath of life to the fire and steadily it grew.

After about an hour, I had a very warm fire and, thankfully, a large amount of boiling water. I hurried to get mugs and after ladling some water into each of them, added sparse amounts of the cinchona bark to the water. I stirred each in turn, both to mix and to cool down the drink so that it didn't damage my patients' throats.

When I had loaded the mugs onto a tray, I slowly walked back down the hall and into the room, finding it in much the same condition that I had left it in.

Seeing Colin sitting up, clearly waiting for me after my hasty departure hours before, I tutted my tongue and shook my head sternly. "What, may I be so bold to ask, are you doing up, mister?"

"Lemme see if ye got the right amount, lass."

I complied, handing a mug slowly to him. "I wasn't sure how much to put in, but..."

Colin tilted the cup and took a small drink. He set it down quickly and swallowed the tea, pulling a face. He coughed slightly, "That's about right. Bit more, though, next time. Should be bad nuff ta put hair on yer chest."

"If that be the case, keep it weak, love," a voice drawled from the door. "Tis no fun to make love to a hairy female."

I blushed a deep crimson and turned to stick my tongue out at Jack.

"Found ye a volunteer to help with this lot while we talk, savvy?" Jack said as he pushed Tad gently into the room. The boy stumbled slightly but recovered and sidestepped me to the tray with the mugs.

"Jes pour slow," Colin instructed the boy. "Tilt their heads up and pour slow."

"Got it under control, then, Colin?" I asked as I stood to leave with Jack.

"Love, if he can't handle a room full of sick men, I'm finding meself a new cook," Jack mocked.

I frowned. "Colin's been sick, nearly dead for a week. Show a bit of kindness you big oaf!" the words, biting they may seem, did have a smile behind them and love in the tone, for I knew that Jack liked Colin very much as a friend.

"I be fine, lass, cap'n."

I nodded and walked out the door, Jack a step behind me.

"So ... umm ... what did you want to talk about, Jack?"

"What had ye in such a fluster this morn, love? Ye had me worried."

"What, a big fierce pirate like you worried about something as inconsequential as me? Best not let that one leak out, might diminish the shudder inspired at the name 'Captain Jack Sparrow.'"

"Funny love, very funny."

I knew that he did worry about me but this time, there was nothing to worry about. I was fine and, with any luck, so would the men. "Okay, fine, don't play along, be a spoil sport this morning, I understand. I had a thought-"

"Did it hurt, darling?" Jack scoffed playfully.

I smirked. "Not as much as it would hurt others in the present company," I paused for a moment to gloat as Jack pouted. "As much as I love that face, I need your attention. I had a thought about what could be causing the illness and why it was that only some of the men were falling sick."

"And?"

"Mosquitoes."

Jack looked slightly lost before a penny dropped in his mind and he caught my meaning. "Malaria?"

I nodded. "Malaria."

"Why didn't we think of it before?" he asked, slapping his head in slight frustration.

"We? Excuse me, but I was the one who thought of it and the only reason I thought of it was because a mosquito was biting my arm when I woke up this morning. But, the point is that Colin and I have an idea of what could treat it."

"Cinchona bark?"

"Exactly. See what a perfect team we are together. Without you, I'd have to elabourate on all of my thoughts."

Jack stood before me, clearly racking his brain when Chaton picked the ideal moment to scamper up and climb onto my shoulder. I petted her idly as I waited for him to finish whatever he was trying to work out how to say. "I don't think that we can get any cinchona bark, Christy."

I shook my head. "Not unless we take an excursion into the mountains. But, lucky for us all, Colin told me that he kept it in his stores. So, no worries, right?"

Jack smirked. "What would I do without you, love?"

"Well, I can't say that you'd starve, I'm a fairly bad cook, and you'd spend a lot more money on whores, and you might have to find another cook and half a crew because chances are they'd all die off but, other than that, I think you'd manage."

Jack put a finger to my lips. "Yer more than that, Christy, and ye should know that."

"I know. And I did know, Jack, I was just trying to get a rise out of you."

He tutted his tongue slightly and murmured conspiratorially, "Well, we'll have to do something about that mouth of yours, won't we, love?"

I nodded mutely.

Jack laughed. But as he leaned down to kiss me, Chaton, always there ready for the 'right' moment, launched off my shoulders and onto Jack's head, clasping a paw on his nose and balancing on the top of his hat. Jack swore fluently and reached up to swat the lemur off but it was as productive as trying to keep water in your hands. Chaton swayed every time that Jack swatted and it all looked like an elabourate dance. Jack got more and more frustrated as this continued and the cursing became much more interesting to listen to. As the two were locked in their battle, I watched, laughing at the scene before me.

When I finally decided to intervene, I put a hand on Jack's shoulder for balance and with my other hand, reached up and pried my lemur off of him easily before replacing the animal at my own shoulder. "I believe that's my cue to leave, Jack."

Jack scowled, muttered under his breath something about why had he ever let me keep that bloody monkey and watched me walk away.

Rather than going back to the sick room, I decided that I was free to do what I would for a bit this afternoon and returned to Jack's cabin. I had had a busy morning and with Tad being commandeered to help Colin, I had some free time. What I really wanted was a nap, but first on my list was food. So, I strode down to the galley after dropping Chaton in the cabin, with my spirits very high.

As I walked, I whistled a tune from my childhood and didn't really pay too much attention as to where I was going. I had walked these halls so many times in the past that I could walk them in my sleep so I didn't worry about watching. And it didn't make any difference until...

Thump.

I ran smack dab into a crewmember.

The impact sent us both to the ground, me laughing all the way. 'I really need to pay attention,' I chided myself mentally. I was about to get up when I saw a hand in my line of vision. Looking up at the man I had slammed unfortunately into, I was assailed by a handsome face and deep eyes that conveyed something ... hidden and yet slightly dangerous. It was odd...to say the least. And yet, in spite of my indecision about the man, I took the hand, deciding that it was not fair to make such quick judgements. He pulled me to my feet quickly and brushed a soft kiss over my knuckles.

"Excuse me, senorita. I didn't see you," he said in a soft, accented voice.

"It was my fault, really, I wasn't paying attention...I was just...just going to get something to eat. And, I guess my mind wandered too far."

"Well, don't let it wander too far again, Mistress Sparrow. I might not always be there to get it back for you."

I blushed in spite of myself and nodded. "I'll keep that in mind in future."

"I'm sure. Until we meet again, senorita."

And with that fleeting comment, he was gone.

And I was standing there like some gushy child wondering what the hell had just gone on.

It wasn't that I liked the man. Truly, he was slightly intimidating. But there was a curious affect that he had on me. One that I had no desire to investigate.

So, I decided to forgo feeding my empty stomach and focus on the second of my tasks...sleep...something very much needed of late.

Turning on my heel, I hurriedly walked back to the cabin and as I shut the door, allowed myself one brief moment of thought as to what had just happened. The extent of my thoughts got to the fact that I was afraid of the man and would do best to avoid him ... something did not seem quite right about him ... I would have to be more careful for sure.

Abandoning my thoughts for a later time, I strode over to the bed. I was strangely tired today...so, doing the only thing that made sense, I laid down on the bed and fell almost instantly asleep.

-A-

Author's Notes -

Well, I'm actually quite pleased with the chapter. Hopefully you all will be to and don't be afraid to show it, reviews or criticisms are always welcome.

Now, food for thought - Who is the mystery crewman? Any guesses on what will come of this?

Ooh, I love being truly evil and posing questions like that. I'll be interested to see if anyone can crack it!

Now, onto a less evil note. Like I said, I will be updating by Saturday. PLEASE review. I really don't care if people say that I'm a crappy writer so long as they can say it to me and have justification.

But seriously, I love hearing from you and without you, it wouldn't be worth it.

Well, that's all for now.

Mange Klemmar

CrazyCanoeingGIT